Connector unit for wiring system



P 1941- J. F. O'BRIEN 2,239,655

bb'mmc'ron UNIT FOR wtlkmu's'lsrau Filed Due. 19, 1939 '2 sho'ets slmeet 1 lNVENTpR.

Joseph F. Q brnefl I yak? -c1uz HIS TTORNEY April 22, 1941,

JQF. O'BREEN CONKECTQR UNIT F0 WIRING SYSTEM Filo d Dec 19, (1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 I'TIII INVENTIOR Joseph F. O Brien .0km HIS ORN YPatented Apr. 22, 1941 CONNECTOR UNIT FOR WIRING SYSTEM Joseph F.OBrien, Jersey City, N. 1., assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 19, 1939,Serial No. 309,939

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in wiring systems.

In particular, the invention relates to improved power source connectionmeans for electric wiring systems embodying conductor carrying unitsarranged in seriatim mechanical and electrical connection, of thegeneral type illustrated and described in U. S. Patent-No. 2,175,144,granted October 3, 1939, to Robert L. Davison.

It is an object of the invention to provide power source connectionmeans for such seriatim-connected conductor carrying units, saidconnection means incorporating fuse means or the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a fused power sourceconnection means of which the fuses thereof may be inserted or replacedwith absolute safety to the operator.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a walled compartmentembodying connection means, aforesaid, in which the electric ourrentsource is shielded from casual contact, such shield means permittinginterconnection of the power source and the conductors of such seriatiminterconnected, units only through the agency of a specialized conductororganization secured to removable cover plate means of such walledcompartment.

In the present invention, the power source connection means comprises ahousing or compartment-provided structure within which are disposedbus-bar means aifording connection with the power source, and additionalbus-bar means spaced therefrom and electrically insulated with respectthereto, arranged for connection to the conductor means of theseriatim-interconnected conductor units.

Desirably, such bus-bar means are provided with spring clip contacts, orequivalent. For the interconnection of such spaced bus-bar means, thecover plate of such compartment-provided structure has secured theretoconductor means embodying knife-blade contacts or equivalent, arrangedfor operative association with the stated spring clip contacts of suchbusbar means. Such cover plate conductor means advantageouslyincorporate provision for the installation of fuses or the like, wherebyoverload protection of the circuit may be afforded.

To guard against accidental or casual contact with the live bus-barmeans, i. e., those busbars permanently electrically connected to thesource of electric current, I provide a housing,

desirably wholly of electrical insulation material, arranged to beplaced, and secured, over the stated live bus-bar means and theirassociated spring contact means. Suitable apertures in such insulatedhousing permit the entry of the knife-blade contacts of the cover plateconnection means and the electrical connection of such contacts with thelive bus-bar means.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will hereinaftermore fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of -a portion of a wall surface of a room,illustrating 'a run of combined molding and wiring means and a manner ofconnecting such molding and wiring means to a source of electriccurrent, pursuant to the present invention. A portion of the connectionmeans and the molding and wiring means are shown in section toillustrate a method of electrical and mechanical interconnectionthereof;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the casing section of connection meansembodying the present inven tion;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the cover means showing an arrangement ofthe electricity conductor means thereof; v

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the guard means employed with the structure ofFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation, in section, of the assembled connection means;

Fig. 6 is an elevation, in section, of a portion of %he gonnection meanstaken on lines 6-6 of Fig. '7 is a horizontal section taken through 1-1of Fig. 2'; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section taken through 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for a more complete description of r theinvention, the wiring system illustrated in Fig. 1 includes run unitsl0, l0, pref erably having a configuration simulating base molding and,as shown, adapted to be run along the floor of a room at theintersection of the wall therewith. The run units embody any desiredplurality of electricity conductors ll', maintained in insulated spacedrelationship. Desirably the conductors II are tubes of copper orequivalent material; the bodies of such run units l0 may be wholly ofelectrical insulation material.

For the connection of the run units with asource of electric current,such current source being designated I2, and represented in Figure 5 asa conventional BX cable run within a wall, pursuant to common practice,the present invention comprehends a connector unit ll, of whichdesirably a lower portion, such'as the portion l 6, cmbodies electricalconductor means l8, [8, in suitable spaced insulated relationship, andadaptable for registry with, and electrical connection to, theconductors I I of the run units l0. Electrical connection may be made byconductive pins 20, or by other suitable means.

Extensions 22, 22 of such base It may have a configuration conforming tothe surface contour of the run units l0, it; an cave-like portion 24 ofeach extension 22 receives the terminal end of an adjacent run unit It,thus ailording a shield of insulation material which precludesaccidental access to the conductors at the juncture of an extension 22and its therewith connected run unit II. If desired, additionalinsulation means, such as the sleeves 26, may encircle the conductors llof run units I and conductors ll of base portion I6.

Referring now to Figure 5, the connector means I desirably comprises awalled casing section II; at an upper portion of which there is providedan aperture having a boss 32 into which any conventional screw threadedarmored cable connector 34 may be screwed. Suitably disposed withrespect to the aperture 32, are provided a pair of bus bars 36, 3B,desirably L- shaped and terminating in spring-clip contact means It. Theconductors of BX cable I! may be soldered to bus bars 36, 36, or securedthereto by suitable screws, as shown. Spaced from such contacts 38, ll,there is provided a second pair of electrical conductor bus bars,designated I, ll, likewise provided with spring contact means 42, 4!. Asshown in Figs. 2 and 5, eachbus bar llmay incorporate a suitable tongueportion which may be looped about a conductor II in the base portion I!of the connector unit,

and suitably secured to efl'ect electrical connec-.

tlon therewith.

Advantageously, the height of the walled casing section II is suitableto position the boss 32 thereof at from three to four inches above thefloor line, to insure that the Ex cable or equivalent may be broughthorizontally into connector unit I, without interference from sills,beams, or other transversely extending structural members of thebuilding in which the wiring system may be installed.

Desirably, to simplify construction and assembly, the casing section 30of the connector unit II is formed of electrical insulation material.

For operative association with section II, I

provide cover vplate means 44, having suitable side-wall formations forengagement with the top, side and bottom wall structures of section II.Cover plate 44 is also desirably of electrical insulation material, andthe inner face of the front wall thereof mounts pairs of electricityconductor elements ll, 41. A terminal end of each of the said conductorelements 48, 41 is provided with a blade contact, respectivelydesignated 4|, ll. As indicated in Figure 5, such blade contacts ll, llare arranged to make electrical connection withthe spring contacts ll,42, respectively, of the upper and lower bus bar means.

In such cover plate means 44, the upper and lower conductor elements ofeach pair of conductor elements may be permanently electricallyinterconnected as by a jumper or the like, but most preferably,cartridge fuses 50 or like safety devices are removably held in fusemounts as shown. Each of the conductors composing the electric circuitin the installation shown in Figure 1 may thus be individually andindependently fused. By removing the cover plate 44, the electricalcircuit, forthwith, becomes dead. The fuses may be inspected in completesafety, and blown or defective fuses replaced with convenienceand at aminimum of hazard. Return of the cover plate 44 to its operativeposition completes the electrical circuit.

Cover means 44 may be secured to rear portion 3| by machine screws orthe like, but as shown electrical insulation material, which areefiective to completely shield such conductors 36. Such guard means isprovided with access slots SI, I, through which contacts 48 of theconnectors ll penetrate to make contact with the spring clip means ll.Guard It may, if desired, be removably secured to the casing It byscrews or like means, but it is found satisfactory to have such guardmeans provided with resilient tongues I, for cooperation with slots H,see Fig. 7, to frictionally hold the guard means in position.

Tongues I should aflord a strong frictional grip with the sides of slotsII, to make definite physical effort necessary to pull the guard I outof engagement with casing section 30, and to pre-' clude accidentaldisplacement of such guardmeans during the stage of removal of the cover44.

It is of course desirable that guard means ll be in close engagementwith the surface of casing section II, and advantageously, the slots incover plate means 44 and the casing section II is desirably less thanthe maximum width of the base portion l8. Accordingly, the fuses II andthe mountings thereof are arranged so as to occupy a space between therespective upper and lower contacts ll, 42. Inasmuch as it is necessaryonly to shield the live contacts II, II from accidental contact, theinsulating guard ll may conform closely to the 'area occupied by the busbars 36 and the contact means 3!, and is desirably of such configurationas will position its lowermost wall in adjacency to the upper portion orthe fuse ll, thus achieving the desideratum of of compactness.

By such construction, danger resulting from arcing is reduced to aminimum, and the "live" contacts, 1. e., the spring contacts 38, II, areprotected from dust or dirt.

Whereas I have described my invention by reference to specific formsthereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Fuse means for an electric wiring system em- .adapted forinterconnection therewith; said base portion having a verticallyextending rear wall' structure disposed intermediate the terminithereof, electric contact means on said rear wall structure inelectrical connection with the conductor means in the base portionthereof; electric contact means on said wall structure arranged forelectrical connection with a source of electric power, the respectiveelectric contact means being in mutually spaced relationship; aremovable cover plate operatively associated with said base portion anddefining therewith a hollow housing having a maximum depth less than themaximum depth of the base portion; electric fuse means disposed on theinner surface of said cover plate and arranged to be positioned in thespace between the respective spaced electric contact means when suchremovable cover plate is in operative positionon said'back portion;guard means adapted for interconnection with the conductor means in saidunits; said base portion having a rear wall structure intermediate theends of said base portion andextending upwardly'to a point above anyfloor sill structure of the buildtric contact means on said wallstructure ar-.

ranged for electrical connection with a source of electric power broughtthrough the wall of said building above the sill structure thereof, therespective electric contact means being in vertically spacedrelationship; removable cover plate means for operative association withsaid base portion and the upstanding rear wall portion thereof anddefining therewith a hollow housing having a maximum depth less than themaximum depth of the base portion; electric fuse means disposed on theinner'surface of said cover plate and arranged to fit between therespective spaced electric contact means when such removable cover plateis in operative position on said back portion; and guard means ofelectric insulation material disposed over the power source connectedcontact means and having an insulating wall intermediatesaid contactmeans and said fuse means and over said contact means; and contact meansadapted to pass through a wall ofsaid guard means to connect a terminalof said fuse means with said power source-connected contact means.

JOSEPH F. O'BRIEN.

